Fort Bend County Approves 10-Year Partnership with UTHealth Houston to Train Future Public Health Leaders
Fort Bend County has approved a decade-long affiliation and program agreement with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) to provide real-world training for residents enrolled in its Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency Program. The agreement, effective June 1, 2025, and set to run through June 1, 2035, will offer graduate-level medical residents hands-on public health experience through the Fort Bend County Health and Human Services Department (FBCHHS).
Under the terms of the agreement, UTHealth residents will complete structured rotations at FBCHHS facilities, primarily located at 4520 Reading Road, Suite A-200 in Rosenberg. The partnership aims to enhance public health readiness and support the educational goals of UTHealth’s residency program while expanding capacity for county-level services.
Training Future Public Health Experts
The agreement outlines how residents will be integrated into FBCHHS operations, including programs in epidemiology, environmental health, policy and planning, community education, and disease control. Residents will work under the direct supervision of FBCHHS medical director Dr. Letosha Gale-Lowe and collaborate with county staff on public health projects that meet both academic and community needs.
“The emphasis will be on in-depth involvement with active health initiatives,” the agreement states, “with rotations occurring both within FBCHHS facilities and out in the field.”
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Educational and Operational Oversight
According to the agreement, Dr. William Brett Perkison, Program Director at UTHealth, will coordinate the academic components of the program, ensuring that each resident meets educational benchmarks. Both parties agreed to co-manage the rotation schedules and performance expectations, with FBCHHS reserving the right to reject or remove residents not meeting performance or conduct standards.
Residents are expected to:
- Participate in team-based health programs
- Attend meetings and trainings
- Respond to community health events
- Submit required documentation including confidentiality and risk acknowledgement forms
Community Benefits and Public Purpose
County officials emphasized that the partnership serves a broader public good by fostering the development of medical professionals experienced in local public health delivery. No funding or financial obligations are required from either party under the agreement.
“This collaboration strengthens the public health infrastructure in Fort Bend County while helping train the next generation of occupational and environmental health leaders,” said officials during the agreement’s approval.
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Confidentiality, Compliance, and Oversight
The agreement includes strict adherence to confidentiality laws, including HIPAA and FERPA, and clarifies that residents, while part of the FBCHHS workforce for training purposes, are not considered county employees. Any disputes related to the agreement will be governed under Texas law, with venue in Fort Bend County.
What’s Next?
Residents will begin their rotations as early as this summer. The public can expect to see increased collaboration between FBCHHS and UTHealth personnel in community health initiatives, especially in areas such as infectious disease surveillance, health education, and emergency preparedness.
Community members interested in learning more about local health programs or upcoming collaborative initiatives can contact Fort Bend County Health and Human Services.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
